Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Plastic...Not Fantastic

Imagine walking into a restaurant, hungry for a tasty meal. You get a sandwich and take that first bite. But something is wrong. It looks like a sandwich, but it doesn’t taste like a sandwich. It’s plastic, but you’ve realized it too late. 

Humans would not usually confuse plastic for food, but many animals, including sea turtles, make this mistake everyday.  Litter in the ocean, much of which is washed there from waterways on land, appears to be nutritious food for these reptiles. They love jellyfish and submerged sea grass, and floating plastic bags and balloons, discarded by humans, look just like their favorite snacks. Unfortunately, this misinterpretation can be deadly. 

Otter's Story

Eating plastic debris can cause sea turtles to become very sick. Many perish from starvation because these materials do not break down, blocking their digestion. Our STAR Center is no stranger to the issue. Otter, a green sea turtle currently in our care, was brought here in December, weak from being cold-stunned and malnourished. S/he had a limited interest in food and even lost a very small amount of weight. Otter would not eat, so our staff eventually began force feeding the turtle. His/her weight stabilized, but lesions to the head and around the nose added to Otter's poor condition.

This turtle was not well, and one culprit of its illness soon surfaced. A large piece of latex was found in Otter's feces in late December. Two more bits of trash, one latex and one plastic food label, appeared in March. Vets were hopeful that his/her appetite and feeding behavior would improve after passing these small bits of trash.  Otter still seemed uninterested in food for a while, but we are happy to say that this turtle began eating on its own at the beginning of April, a little less than four months since its arrival to the STAR Center.

Reduce the Plastic Problem

Otter is lucky to have been brought to the Aquarium, where s/he receives life-saving treatment. Many animals who encounter problems with plastics are not as fortunate. An ever-growing threat to our oceans, plastics are affecting the largest organisms to the smallest. It may seem overwhelming, but the actions of one individual can make an impact. Here are a few things you can do:
  1. Say no to plastic bags. Bring your own reusable bag out shopping, or simply refuse a bag when checking out.
  2. Limit your consumption of single-use plastics, including water and soda bottles, straws, and coffee cups.
  3. Recycle plastics that you do use.
For more ways to reduce your 'plastic footprint' visit the Surfrider Foundation's Rise Above Plastics page. Otter's story is an example of why we should all make small changes in our use of plastics everyday.

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